A man who for no reason lashed out at a bystander who was waiting for a taxi in Ballina — which resulted in the injured party having his nose reset — was before Ballina District Court this week for this “unsavoury, unprovoked attack”.
On Monday January 19 this year at 1.15am, injured party Mr Baird made a report to Garda Adrian O’Shaughnessy that he had been assaulted by a man, whom he did not know, on Tone Street, Ballina. En route to the scene Garda O’Shaughnessy observed Mark Moyles, 19 Ferran Terrace, Ballina, walking away from Tone Street and the defendant was later identified on CCTV as the assailant. On January 21 Moyles came to Ballina Garda station of his own free will where he made a statement admitting the assault.
Moyles, who had been drinking that night, admitted that he had a disagreement with his friend in a takeaway in Ballina and after coming out of the takeaway he struck a parking metre and then hit Mr Baird who was standing nearby.
Defending solicitor Michael Bohan said that Moyles’ conscience brought him to the station following this “unsavoury, unprovoked attack”.
The father of two, who is employed, had €2,000 in court as compensation.
Judge Mary Devins said that if there was ever a necessity for a direction for a defendant to complete anger management then this was such a case. The judge asked for a probation report to be before the court on September 8 and ordered that the €2,000 be given to Mr Baird.
